Award-winning nurse from Cagayan charged in alleged P51-Billion U.S. Healthcare Scam

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – Less than a year after being recognized among the world's most influential Filipinos, a nurse practitioner from Cagayan is now facing serious charges in the United States over her alleged involvement in a healthcare fraud scheme valued at more than P51 billion.

Marizel Cambri Yukee, a native of Tuguegarao City and a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, was indicted in Texas after prosecutors accused her of leading a scheme that allegedly generated more than USD 906 million (over P51 billion) in fraudulent claims filed against government-funded healthcare programs in the United States.

The case has drawn significant attention in both the U.S. and the Philippines because Yukee was among the recipients of the "100 Most Influential Filipinos in the World" recognition during the Top Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) Awards in 2024.

The recognition was also highlighted by the Provincial Government of Cagayan, which cited her contributions to the healthcare sector and her service to the Filipino community abroad.

However, according to reports from international and national media outlets, federal investigators alleged that Yukee and her associates operated wound-care clinics in several U.S. states and billed Medicare and Tricare for costly skin-graft procedures that were allegedly medically unnecessary.

Authorities said the fraudulent claims were allegedly submitted between October 2023 and April 2026.

Court documents filed in Houston, Texas, further alleged that government healthcare programs paid out approximately USD 297 million based on the claims submitted.

Investigators said many of the patients involved were elderly individuals and hospice patients suffering from serious illnesses.

Federal authorities also accused Yukee and her alleged co-conspirators of paying illegal referral fees to healthcare providers, falsifying medical records to justify treatments, and receiving kickbacks from suppliers of tissue-based wound-care products.

According to investigators, proceeds from the alleged scheme were used to acquire luxury assets and fund major investments.

Among the assets cited in court filings were high-end vehicles, expensive jewelry, a luxury residence in Hawaii, and a beach resort development project in Santa Ana, Cagayan, reportedly valued at approximately USD 4.6 million or more than P280 million.

Yukee now faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, conspiracy involving illegal kickbacks, and money laundering.

As with all criminal proceedings, the allegations remain unproven, and Yukee is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The case remains under investigation, and further court proceedings are expected in the coming months.

This is a developing story.